IN NJ, LICENSING FOR COUNSELORS FALLS UNDER:

– The Professional Counselor Examiners Committee which falls under
– The Board of Marriage and Family Therapy Examiners
– http://www.nj.gov/lps/ca/proc/

TO BE LICENSED YOU NEED:

– 18 years of age or older
– Be of good character
– Completed a master’s degree from an approved program
– Accrue 60 credits, 45 of which must be in eight of nine identified areas

THE NINE AREAS ARE:

1. Counseling Theory & Practice
2. The Helping Relationship
3. Human Growth & Development & Maladaptive Behavior
4. Lifestyle and Career Development
5. Group Dynamics, Processes, Counseling, & Consulting
6. Appraisal of Individuals
7. Social & Cultural Foundations
8. Research & Evaluation
9. The Counseling Profession

– You can find out how Caldwell courses map onto these 9 areas by referring to the Area Check file under the “Getting Licensed’ folder of the documents section.

THE STEPS TO GET LICENSED ARE:

1. Apply to the Licensing Committee for approval to take the National Counselor Examination for Licensure and Certification (NCE)
– You can apply by going here.
2. After passing the NCE, you receive the credential LAC
– As an LAC, you are eligible to obtain Supervised hours (3 years worth of hours)
– 1500 hours is considered one year of supervision
– You are able to do as little as 750 hours a year if you can’t do 1500 hours a year
– In total, you can take no more than six years to complete your hours

THE LAWS FOR LICENSURE IN NJ CHANGE ALL THE TIME:

You can always find the laws and proposed laws for counselors in NJ here.

View a document providing an overview of licensure requirements in every state here.